The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-03-18

his anger he had almost struck the
child. 1t was the first and only time
they ever saw him angry. The strong
est passion in this man S breast was 3
desire not to speak of the life he had
been taken from when a boy of ten.
"Yo's wanted t de house, missy"
he said. Then he shook his head
gravely. Young ladies hadn't
ought'er chop wood. If yo' want
dawlhOuse-''
A dollhouse! Lalage-Jane's eyes
widened with protest.
''Tisn't that at all, Jaredi It's
wood. Wood to sell to tn boats, and
tn moneys for mother
He did not laugh. Years afterward
Lalage-Jane remembered that CRATE
fully. He pulled her castle down, but
he did it with a gentle touch which
helped her to bear the bitter disap-
pOintment.
The strange gentleman had come
again one day, and was just leaving
when Lalage-Jane heard him say:
There is no compromise possible.
The judgment covers nearly all. Wen
have to let the law take its course"
When he was gone, even nanny
cried, and Mrs. Garrison began her old
lamentation: IF Richard would only
come homer
But no one had ever heard from him
the mails were so uncertain, and in
those days there were no kilograms.
The next day a boat stopped at the
Garrison landing, and Lalage-Jane saw
figure after figure pass through the
plantation gate and up the staging.
"These are our people!" she said,
breathlessly. ''Where are they goin',
mammyP Who's taken emp
ITO the city," nanny said, with q
sob in her old cracked voice. ''Taint
none of Missus' doin's. De gen'ilman
say-ed twas Judgment took EN-"
They brought Jared, at his earnest
entreaty, to tell the children goodbye,
and he knelt and kissed them in tear
less silence.
"COme"-the marshal said, touching
the shoulder of the kneeling man.
''Come, we must be goin'."
You shan't have him!' Lalage-Jane
cried, with storm of tears. ''He's
my Jared! I'll tell father bout yo'
the minute he comes homer
cit aint me, miss" the man said,
uncomfortably. Jared rose and obeyed
in the same silence. He stumbled once
OF twice as he walked, but he never
looked back. The last sound of his
old life which followed him was LaIage
James voice crying his name.
Then a dreamy period. Seven long
days of sunshine that seemed to turn the
earth to a cloud of dust. One after
noon the hot silence was broken by the
whistle of boat.
Three" Lalage-Jane said, count
ng each blast. ''DO you hear, Jimmie?
They're goin' t. land! Quick! 'spect
it's father comm home. "
In moment more the children were
out on the levee, and perched upon an
old gunwale, from which they could
watch the great white boat curve into
shore. A plantation wagon came lum-
bering down for freight, and amid the
discOrdant shouts of the rOustabOuts,
the staging swung into place. The
guards were filed with passengers and
Lll0 IOWCI NACCh WIS CIoWuGtl WIFI
negroes. 1t was evident that some up
country planter had been to New Or
leans to purchase slaves.
Apart from the others, and huddled
timldly together, sat Il little group,
| and towering above them all, stood a
negro of superb build with the brown
skin and sharp features of an
Ashantee.
His arms were folded across his
breast, and there was something terri
BILE in the utter immObility of the face
turned toward the shore. As soon as
the boat had touched land, murmur
ran through this group, faint at first,
! then swelling louder, until now wOm-
an, plucking the man by the sleeve,
cried shrilly:
Look yonder, Jared! Bless de
Lawd! it's lille missy an Mars
Jeamesn'
The children heard the cry. and
Jimmie sent back an answering shout
of recognition. Like 4 flash, Lalage-
Jane was running up the staging-at
| the risk of being knocked down by a
rolling barrel-and plunged headlOng
into the group.
They clustered around her with
| broken EXPLANATIONS, and she was
gracious to them all, but it was Jared
to whom she chung.
Missy" said the man hoarsely.
missy, den yo' amt forgot yore pore
| old JaredP''
"Of course member you, Jaredr'
the child replied. "An' I'm so glad
you've come home. an you've brought
father, too, haven't you, Jared?'
The man shook his head. and some of
the women began to cry.
''COme. Jaredr' she cried, Juggling
at his hand. Come an find father,
an then well get off. Quick, Jared,
fore they startr'
Jared set his teeth, and loOsened the
little impetuous hand from his; and the
first whistle blew.
s'Oh, comet the child cried in an
agony of entreaty. Don't you hear
EN- goin' to start? Quick, Jared
quick!'
just then the second whistle sounded
and Lalage-Jane felt herself lifted up
and carried on shore. When the over
seer put her down, the boat had pushed
out from land, amid confused sound
of farewells from the hands in the
wagon to their old comrades on board,
who answered with wild lamentations;
but Jared stood like a bronze statue of
despair
He had followed the child with his
eyes until she was carried out of sight,
and now he turned his gaze once more